Running isn't my only drug
by cowardlyheroine
Summary: University AU. Every day without fail, Eren goes for a early morning run before class. One day, he 'bumps' into a short man he mistook for someone younger than him. Turns out that Eren was the younger one and boy did he know it.
1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin unfortunately. All characters, unless stated, belong to the great Hajime Isayama.

_Beep beep beep beep_

Slamming his hand to stop his alarm, Eren Yeager rubbed his eyes blearily and rolled over to catch another snooze.

_Beep beep_

Oh for goodness' sake, he hit the snooze button! Now fully awake, Eren threw his alarm clock across the room, shutting it up for now. That alarm clock…it had survived his wrath for a good many years – it was a miracle it hasn't been broken yet.

Eren gave a little groan, reluctantly swinging his legs and dragging himself off from his comfortable bed. He squinted at his alarm across the room to see the time _6:00_ blinking at him.

_I have plenty of time for a nice long run then_, Eren thought to himself. He shuffled to his bathroom and quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, removed any remnants of sleep he still had. He slipped into a jumper and tracksuit bottoms while combing his hair through his fingers with a vain attempt of trying to make it look less like bed hair. On his way to the kitchen, he peeked his head through his best friend Armin Arlert's bedroom and smiled at the sight of him snoring peacefully, one leg off his bed and blankets askew.

Eren ambled to his fridge and took out a carton of orange juice. He considered having a full breakfast but tossed that idea away as he always did. Eating before a long run always slows him down and he gets less motivated than when he didn't have any breakfast. Taking out his favourite mug, he poured orange juice into it right up to the rim; chugged it all down and wiped off the juice from his mouth with his hand. He gave a little sigh when he looked out of the window and saw that it was quite chilly outside. He hastily slipped into his old weather-beaten trainers and slipped a scarf on for good measure. Grabbing his keys and iPod, he left his flat he shared with Armin and closed the door quietly so that he won't wake him up.

As soon as he got downstairs, he paused by the main door and slipped his headphones on, quickly switching putting his 'For running' playlist on shuffle in his iPod. One of his favourites came up –a loud song with a nice rhythmic beat. Feeling the familiar surge of motivation, he went outside and started jogging in time with the beat. He smiled to himself as he jogged through his familiar route, his breath coming out as little puffs of air. His jogging steadily built up to a run, his breath becoming a bit raspy but he pushed on nevertheless, feeling alive in the moment – his eyes watering a bit against the cold and he quickly wiped the tears off with his numb hands.

The course he set up for his early morning runs was a 45-minute one. He is meant to run all around the nearby park, up a hill with neighbouring houses – cutting across a street that takes him back down the hill but in another direction and around the park again before heading back to the university campus. It took him a while to make this course because he was a new university student and he wasn't at all familiar with the city until a few weeks ago.

Eren could see the sun finally making an appearance, rays of sunlight illuminating the purple sky and the clouds, showing off their brilliant radiance. He took a deep breath, revelling in its beauty and was glad that he could see this brilliant sight.

He slowed down a bit when he saw the hill and gave a sigh of annoyance. He was already tired from his recent deadline he had to meet but he was never one to give up in the middle of a run. Slowly jogging up the hill, he cursed himself for forgetting to bring his water bottle _again_. Panting slightly, he crossed to the street that will let him go back down the hill again. Soon he was going downhill which – it has to be said – was his favourite part of the course.

It was in his second time running across the park that he saw someone else on his way. It wasn't at all usual seeing someone else in his early morning runs although once in a while, he would see another fellow jogger or a homeless man asleep on one of the benches in the park. Eren was too far away to see the person properly but the figure looked like a guy and he was quite short in stature. He also looked like he was running as he was wearing headphones too with tracksuit bottoms on. Thinking he was just someone from a sixth form or college, Eren quickened his pace – grinning at the thought of outrunning the short guy.

It didn't seem that the short guy has heard him yet which was understandable with his headphones on. However, Eren was determined to make his presence known and he purposely ran making his footsteps as loud as possible while making a point of breathing as loud as he could afford to. Finally, the short guy heard and looked behind with him with a flicker of surprise as he saw the panting Eren, his face flushing with exertion and a competitive glint in his eyes which faded away with shock when he actually saw what the short guy looked like.

He definitely wasn't younger than him or a university student. He was a man with a hint of stubble on his chin and narrow heavy-lidded eyes making his expression look like a permanent glare. His raven black hair was fashioned into a military-style undercut and the dark bruised circles under his eyes made his face look white and sharp in the morning. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw who he was dealing with.

'What do you want, kid?' he said shortly, taking off his headphones and slowed down to a stop glaring back at Eren.

Meanwhile, Eren was stunned into silence. It wasn't his misconception of the guy's age that shook him but how oddly drawn he was to him. His eyes were like dark grey orbs that bore straight into him and his sharp features of his face and body made Eren want to touch him - to make sure that he was real. However, before he opened his mouth to reply, his legs decided that this was the right moment to disobey him and he tripped on nothing causing him to fall face flat into the ground right in front of the man.

Eren couldn't believe his bad luck. Of all the places he could have tripped this morning; it had to be here with someone else bearing witness to his embarrassment. With a groan, he struggled to get himself up but his legs were too tired and felt more like a dead weight. He cursed silently to himself.

'Come on you brat, give me your hand,' said a voice and it took a moment for Eren to realise that it was coming from the short man. Evidently, his little trip caused his short memory to suffer a little. He lifted up one of his hands and the man grasped it – his hand felt smooth and strong, helping Eren steady himself before getting up.

'What, do you always trip yourself whenever you meet someone?' the man drawled as Eren brushed off some gravel from his arms and feet. His voice was silky and a bit rough on edges. Eren detected a slight French accent. 'Or do you always do this shit in front of a stranger?'

'No,' Eren snapped, feeling a tinge of red that definitely wasn't from the cold on his ears. 'I don't normally trip, it's not a big deal.'

'Pfft, whatever. I want to know why you were following me,' the man said.

'I wasn't following you! I was having my morning run before class. You just happened to be in the way of my course.'

'I don't give a damn about your stupid course. In fact, I believe that _you _were in my way. Here I was, minding my own business – just having my usual run when this shitty brat comes along and trips behind me. No wonder I thought you were following me.'

'Fine! If you let me go ahead, you can see that I wasn't following you! Is that good enough for you?' Eren glared at him with a fierce glint in his eyes. Anyone else would have recoiled seeing his expression but the man still had his calm stoic expression on his face.

'Exactly what I was going to say, brat. Couldn't have said it better myself. Not that I care.'

Biting back a retort, Eren pushed past him without a backward glance, quickly breaking into a run with his newfound strength to soothe his nerves. Brilliant, it wasn't even 8am yet and he was already pissed. He didn't know what he felt the most – his annoyance at being called a little kid or his frustration that he was somehow drawn to that damn guy. He gave a little sigh as the university campus came into view. He might never even see that guy again and already his face was fading away from his memory. Not that he cared.

When he reached his flat and opened the door, he found that Armin was already awake from the familiar smell of toast that wafted to his nose. The blond-haired guy popped his head from the kitchen when he heard the door open and smiled at the sight of Eren sweating and flushed from his long run, already collapsed onto the sofa.

'Morning Eren! Had a nice run?' he said, passing a cup of water towards him.

'Morning Armin, had a nice run alright. It was quite eventful though,' Eren mumbled as he thankfully placed the cool glass on his lips.

'Really, what happened?' Armin enquired. He wrinkled up his nose. 'Hold up, take a shower first. You smell disgusting, Eren.'

'Cheers mate,' Eren said sardonically, gulping down the water. He grudgingly trudged towards the shower. This was the part he always hates – when he comes back in, the flat was warmer than before since he got used to the cold but the shower usually gets him back to his senses. He gasped as the cold water shook him out of his tiredness and quickly altered the knobs to get his preferred heat, allowing himself to sink into a slight stupor letting the water wash over him – relishing the light trickles pouring down his skin.

After a quick rinse with shampoo and conditioner, he quickly dried himself off and ambled back to his room in his boxers, slipped on some jeans and a casual jumper and made his way to the kitchen. Armin was already making breakfast – warm buttered toast, orange juice and cereal.

'We have got to make the most of this,' he said lightly. 'By the end of this year, it will be hell enough for us to start skipping breakfast.'

'Pssh, who did you hear that from? If it was from Jean, you_ know_ how much he sucks at meeting deadlines,' Eren snorts as he grabbed a slice of toast.

'Eren, you suck at meeting them too – in fact if it wasn't for Mikasa and I, you wouldn't have even met last week's one,' Armin pointed out.

'Details, details…'Eren hastily said, earning a chuckle out of Armin. 'Anyway don't you want to know what happened to me this morning?'

'Oh yes, do tell me.'

Eren quickly told him an account of his meeting with the man – leaving out his confusion on being somehow attracted to him. Not that he cared anymore. He also resisted giving him a blow-by-blow description on what he looked like, realising that it might be a bit suspicious.

'Wow, he sounds like a douchebag,' Armin remarked with wide eyes when Eren finished his story. 'Don't worry Eren, you might not meet him again. It might just a one-timer thing you know?'

'I guess,' Eren agreed. A small part of him hoped not but he wasn't going to say that out loud.

'So anyway, we agreed to meet up with Mikasa before class starts to borrow some notes from her didn't we?' Armin said, checking his watch. 'Shit, it's almost 9, we need to leave soon!'

'Steady on,' Eren said in alarm. 'I have to get my stuff first.'

'Hurry up! You know that the lecture hall is at the other end of the campus – it will take us forever to get there if we don't leave _now_.'

'Shit, calm your tits Armin. I know you don't like being even a minute late for anything but let's not sacrifice my not bringing my books for that, shall we?'

'For goodness sake, Eren. I'm going to wrap this toast in some foil and by the time I've done that, I want you to be by the door. If you are not there, I'll still be leaving.'

'Alright alright, you doofus,' Eren huffed as he rushed to his room and grabbed some paper and pens that haven't run out yet. He then stuffed them all into his satchel along with some biology books for good measure in case he has any lectures that he could use the books to refer to. He then rushed out just in time to see Armin about to close the door.

'Oi, I didn't actually think you would leave without me!' Eren whined.

'On the contrary,' Armin said briskly, a slight smile tugging at his lip. 'Now hurry up…put those legs into good use. I thought you liked running.'

'I do,' Eren smiled, slowing down so that Armin could keep up with him. 'It keeps my nerves calm and I don't have to stress about anything. If anything, running is like my drug.'

**AN**: Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will put up the next chapter by Monday or at the very least Tuesday. If it's already Monday from where you are, then I am sorry haha. Just so you know, I haven't written anything in ages so please excuse me if the beginning of the chapter sounded a bit wooden to you. I had trouble even starting this story but I finally finished so that's great.

Also, I keep seeing fanfictions where Eren and his friends live in the US and as much as I liked them, I never seem to find any stories where they lived in the UK so I thought I must step in there. So yes, the trio go to a university in England. I'm not sure what university it is yet but I will tell you when I figure it out. Sixth form means high school in the US by the way, just in case any of you were confused there! I believe they are the last two years of high school.

This is the view Eren saw in his early morning run and I described this view as best as I could, not that it would do it any justice. It really is a beautiful sight but I can't put the original link up here but you type in my tumblr account (please PM me if you want to see it, someone in rl found my account fml) and add this on, you'll see it: /post/90294073004

So yes, sorry for this mini-rant. I hope to see you all very soon!

~ cowardlyheroine


	2. Memories

**AN**: Hey guys, I'm sorry for the massive delay in posting this. I had really bad writer's block and really struggled with this especially with too many deadlines for my actual school work. The thing is, I realised that my biggest flaw in writing is putting too much detail into stories and while in the middle of it; I suddenly run out of inspiration and end up ditching them. I still have it and of course I can't resist the urge of writing about how Eren and his friends got into uni and what they study instead of the…well, actual story itself. So consider this chapter as Chapter 1.5. By the time I post this, I will be ready to start Chapter 2 with LEVI in it. Again, I'm really sorry but thank you for the follows and favourites. It delighted my heart when I saw this even though they did make me feel guilty haha.

PS: Secondary school in the UK is like middle school and the first two years of high school I believe.

In his last year of sixth form, Eren applied for a law course to a few universities. He was passionate about the subject and his dream was to work in defence. His secret wish was to work for the M16 although he knew how hard it was to get one. Unfortunately, the universities he applied had a hard time thinking this since he was rejected outright from all of them – even after he was asked in for interviews, suggesting that he should try again next year with a stronger statement. Mikasa Ackerman, his adopted sister, unsurprisingly got into all of the universities but flatly refused to go without him therefore joining Eren for a gap year along with Armin (who already decided to have a gap year before university anyway).

Therefore the trio indulged themselves to get as much experience as they possibly can within a year. Eren went and took up a part time job in a solicitor's office although he found it quite trying sometimes and even volunteered to help out with young Air Cadets. Armin (who wants to study History) and Mikasa (who also wants to study law) made the most of the year too and took on various volunteering positions and jobs to make their university statements stronger.

They all reapplied to the same universities in the following year and they all got into their preferred university. With delight and determination, the three young adults set off to an unknown city in order to study what they love. The only downside was that their former classmate, Jean Kirschtein was accepted in the previous year and is now a second year in the same university.

'Bullshit,' Eren said when he had heard this from Armin. Jean and Eren weren't exactly _close _to each other.

'I'm sure you won't see each other that often,' Armin had said soothingly. 'He is studying History like me so chances are that I will see him more often than you.'

'I just hope he still hasn't got the hots for Mikasa,' Eren grumbled on. Everyone knew that Jean had a die-hard crush on her since secondary school. Mikasa apparently seems oblivious to this situation or it could be that she does know but chooses to ignore it.

'Well, I hope he found someone who actually likes him back this time,' Armin said with a grin. 'Come on, let's head to that coffee shop we found last week. Mikasa told me that she's there with Ymir and Krista.'

Mikasa boarded with Ymir and Krista due to the same-sex arrangement of student accommodation. She has only known them for one week but she described Krista as 'sweet' and Ymir as 'bossy and cynical'. Ymir and Krista were already quite close to each other before they met Mikasa with Ymir initially taking a disliking to her, being too overprotective over Krista. They were truly an odd pair –the innocent looking petite blond girl with baby blue eyes and the tall slender brunette, her thin face adorned with freckles giving off an intimidating aura to anyone within a 5-mile radius.

'I think there is something going on between them,' Mikasa said to Eren when her flatmates were brought up in a conversation. 'I don't like to ask…yet, because I am not too close with them but I'm sure they'll tell me one day.'

Although Krista and Ymir both study Drama and English, they still hung out with Mikasa when she wasn't able to go see Eren and Armin. It was a very chilly morning when Eren and Armin hurried to the coffee shop and caught sight of Krista and Mikasa – the latter's dark red scarf was wrapped around her neck even more thickly than normal. Ymir was at the register counter and she soon slouched back to their table, armed with a tray laden with foamy coffees and teas.

'Oh it's you two,' she drawled, acknowledging them with a nod.

'No need to sound so disappointed,' Eren remarked easily.

'Oh Ymir, you really need to stop being rude to Mikasa's friends,' Krista said and she smiled sweetly at them. 'Mikasa already told Ymir what to order for you two. Here you go.'

They held up a light conversation as they sipped their drinks, talking about their courses and where they came from. It soon went on to what kind of sports they are going to sign up.

'Whatever Krista will do, I will do,' Ymir said immediately, causing Krista to give her a slight frown. 'Oh babe, you don't have to look at me like that. You know I am good at sports and I don't have a particular interest in any of them. I might as well join whatever you join!'

'What about you, Eren?'

'Well…' Eren considered thinking of any sport that he would be actually good at. He was okay at football but he knew how violent he was in that game so he had decided, wisely, to stay away from the sport for the time being.

'I only like running,' Eren confided. 'I don't think any sports team here would like having me there – you know how mad I get.'

'That's true,' Mikasa nodded. 'Eren will probably never know how to control his anger.'

'Oi!'

'What? It's true!' she retorted, earning a light punch on her shoulder. She gave a small smile. 'I remember encouraging you to go for a run after that fight with Jean in secondary school so that you can let off some steam. Remember that, Eren?

'Yeah, I remember!' Eren wrinkled his nose and then he grinned. 'I can't believe it's because of that asshole Jean that I found my love for running. Please don't tell him I said that!' They all laughed at that and the rest of the morning was spent pleasantly in that little coffee shop as they idly chatted about anything and everything, all their worries gone from their minds for the time being.

**AN**: I feel a bit relieved to get this off my chest now. Now I can properly start Chapter 2 as soon as I posted this. Thank you so much for putting up with me and my unreliability, I really don't deserve it.


	3. Encounter

After that fateful encounter with the man, Eren was a bit reluctant to go for his usual run. He didn't have any problems with seeing him again except that he felt a bit freaked about being attracted to an older guy. He knew he was gay so that wasn't the problem – it was just that he had always had relationships with guys the same age as him so this experience was quite new. His eyes looked like they had stared straight into him…his soul, or his spirit - whatever, and that had unnerved him. Well, only slightly.

_How the fuck does one fall in love with someone just by looking at them, _Eren thought. _Wait, love? No way in hell. That 'Love at first sight' concept is absolute bollocks. I don't even know his name. I practically got a crush on some random stranger on the street._

Eren decided that the best way about his problem was to go for a run later than usual. So at approximately 7am, he set off - armed with some water this time.

His effort to avoid the man was futile since as soon as Eren entered the park he saw the familiar figure a short distance away, jogging – _without headphones on_.

_Oh crap_, Eren thought, his heart giving a little flutter. He will definitely hear him now; Eren's feet were always loud even when he tried not to be. Sure enough, the man showed signs of slowing down – it's no use, there was no other way of avoiding him other than going past him.

As soon as Eren got near enough, the man stopped abruptly. His lips were pursed and he was blatantly staring at Eren so much that the boy grew a bit nervous. When he made to go past him, the man abruptly put out his hand to stop him.

'What?' Eren snapped, trying to glare at him but only managed a slight blush when he gazed directly at his stony eyes.

'My headphones,' the man said in a passive voice. 'Where did you put them?'

'W-what?' Eren stammered. 'I didn't take your headphones. Why are you blaming me for?'

'Because they were gone by the time I got to work yesterday. I couldn't find them at home so I figured that I must have dropped them here or you must have taken them.'

'I know damn well that I didn't take them. How could I when I was lying face flat on the ground with you laughing at me? Do I look like a liar to you?'

'I don't know anything about you, you shitty brat,' the man said in an irritated voice.

'Well, why don't you then?' Eren blurted out. The moment those words left his lips, he wished he could take them back. His face, already flushed with the cold, reddened even more which he really didn't think was possible.

'Sorry that came out wrong,' he mumbled, suddenly finding the leaf beside his feet the most interesting thing in the world. Suddenly, the man chuckled.

Eren had never been so highly aware of someone's laugh before. Mikasa's laugh was gentle and pleasant to one's ears. Armin's laugh usually starts off with a snort or two and then he erupts into giggles and more snorts – a truly infectious laugh. Ymir's one was loud and raucous and Krista's sounded like a blessing from heaven. However, this man's laugh…he was more aware of it than anyone else's. It was a deep throaty chuckle and he felt it echoing against his ears and he wished to hear it over and over, he didn't want it to stop. He didn't hear anything else, just the man laughing over and over and while he was doing that, he had closed his eyes and the furrows around his eyebrows disappeared making him look younger than he really was. Had Eren looked more closely at his face, he would have noticed a slight flush but instead he said with as much challenge as he could muster,

'What's so funny about what I said?'

'Sorry,' the man said. 'You just reminded me of someone I knew when I was your age. He was an idiot; he kept on blurting everything that came to his mind. There were some entertaining incidents caused by him.'

'Ah,' Eren didn't know what to say at this – how could he respond anyway when he wasn't even sure if it was an indirect insult to him or not?

'Well if that's all, I best be going,' Eren said, instantly regretting what he just said. Damn, he really did like him.

'I'll come with you.'

'Wait…what?' Eren spluttered a bit, his confusion blatantly clear on his face.

'Honestly, does anything go through that thick skull of yours? I said I'll come with you, you piece of shit. I might as well look for my headphones along the way; I noticed yesterday that you follow the same route as I do.'

Oh so that's why. Eren's tiny ray of hope that the man had an interest in him, romantically or not, faded but he was quite glad that he can spend a little longer with him.

'Alright, but if you want to come jogging with me I have the right to know your name,' Eren declared without thinking. He looked nervously at the man.

There was a pause and then,

'Levi,' he said. 'Call me Levi.' Eren drew in a breath, that name somehow – weirdly – suited him.

'Levi,' Eren said, trying it out. 'Levi, my name is Eren. I go to the university near here.' Woops, he didn't mean to say that.

'I didn't ask for that information,' Levi said brusquely, narrowing his eyes. 'But it's good to know if I ever need to find you.'

'Please don't come in and cause a commotion asking for me,' Eren teased. 'I'm sure there are plenty of Erens in the uni. It will take a while to find me.'

'Oh I won't break in,' Levi said coolly. 'I will just wait outside the gates and snatch you up when you leave.'

'You would wait a long time then, I live in a student flat in the campus,' Eren grinned.

'Again, that's good to know.'

Shit, he let his guard down again. He really shouldn't be feeling at ease with this guy.

'Aren't we supposed to be running?' Eren said with a raise of an eyebrow.

'No, we're supposed to be walking. Hurry up, you idiot,' Levi darted ahead, swiftly looking around the ground in his search. 'When do you have class Eren?' The latter felt a shiver go down his spine when Levi said his name – it sounded absolutely delicious coming from his lips, his smooth voice caressing it and his slight accent on the 'R'. Eren couldn't help smiling.

'I have one at 9am,' he answered. He glanced at his watch, 'I have to be back by 8.30 to get ready. Sorry to break it to you but I'm afraid I'll have to leave you – don't pine for me while I'm gone okay?'

'As if a little brat like you needs to pined for,' Levi gave a snort. 'I have better things to do with my life.'

'Like what? Hunting for a pair of headphones you have no hope of getting back?' Eren smirked. He drew a breath; they were jogging quite fast now. 'Get real, Levi. Finding it in a massive park like this? That's like me finding my straightness.' Oh _SHIT, _he was done for. What's with him and his big mouth?! With his luck, Levi would probably feel too uncomfortable near him.

Levi didn't say anything. There was an awkward silence and the only sounds that could be heard from him were just quick short breaths and his feet.

'I - er, well,' Eren stammered. What the fuck can he say in this situation? He just hoped that Levi was mature enough to handle it. Well, he looked like he is but there was still no response from him.

'Levi, I just – I didn't really mean…I'M BI!' Eren blurted and inwardly cursed himself. _Fuck what the fuck Eren. You can't even tell him that you are gay, saying that you are bisexual doesn't solve anything._

Only then did Levi looked at him with his gorgeous eyes and said in a pissed-off tone, 'No you are not.'

'I think I would know if I was -'Eren began to defend.

'A liar Eren,' Levi said in a cool voice. 'It's so obvious when you are lying, you idiot, and I don't even know you. You are gay and you know it, don't be ashamed of it.'

'I am not ashamed!' Eren said in an outraged voice. 'It's just…I don't even know you so I wasn't sure how you would react.'

'Well, how about we get to know each other then?'

Okay, Eren had to stop running then. He couldn't believe the words he had just heard pour out of the man's lips.

'Sorry? Can you repeat that?'

'You little fuck, I am not repeating what I just said,' Levi snapped at him although Eren could have sworn that there was a faint blush on his cheeks.

'And just how are we going to go about it?' Eren remarked, struggling to keep his voice level. The shock of it had faded away and he was overcome with delight – who would have thought that Levi would make the first move? Eren had actually wondered how to get Levi to become more than strangers to him.

'We can go on runs every morning.'

'Hey that sounds like a great idea! I always wanted someone to go running with me but none of my friends were fond of that idea.'

'Oh wow, you actually have friends,' Levi sneered. 'Who would have thought? I seriously thought that you were just a loner who likes to piss other men off.'

'How rude Levi,' Eren said in an annoying voice. 'I could say the same to you, you know.'

'Shitty brats like you need to stop disrespecting their elders,' Levi said in a superior tone. 'We're near the campus now.'

'Ah we never did find your headphones,' Eren said with a laugh. 'Don't worry, Levi, I'm sure someone out there found a very good use for it.'

'I don't like the sound of that at all,' Levi said in a bothered voice. 'They were a really good pair.'

'Oh…' Eren's smile faltered a little. He didn't like seeing him unhappy. 'Well if it bothers you so much, why don't you just go buy a new pair?'

'You think I'm made out of money, kid?'

'You certainly look like it though,' Eren pointed out. It was true – Levi's clothing certainly looked expensive and remarkably immaculate.

'It's none of your business, brat,' Levi said, glaring at him. He certainly gave off an intimidating aura then – Eren shuddered.

'Well then,' Eren gave a pause and put his hand forward. 'It's been nice meeting with you.' Levi just looked at his outstretched hand with a look of distaste.

'Er...you are supposed to shake it,' Eren said helpfully, feeling a bit put off with the man's reaction.

'I know that, you asshole. You think I have been raised in another planet or something?' Levi seemed to internally struggle with something but in the end he reached his own hand forward, grasped Eren's fingers and quickly withdrew. Eren barely registered it.

'Wait, why did you do that?'

'Off you go then… I will see you around,' Levi said dancing around the question. He turned around and strode off quickly without a backwards glance, leaving a very confused Eren behind him.

'What…the fuck just happened?'

**AN: ** I stole the headphones! Nah, I am just kidding – it was a good thing it did get lost (or stolen) otherwise this wouldn't have happened.

Okay here's the deal – if I don't update within two days, please assume that I have writer's block or that I have a deadline for something. I only have one week left of school (not including this week) and yet they still pile on deadlines as if the exams weren't bad enough.

On a completely unrelated topic, anyone else looking forward to the second season of 'Free!'? I simply can't wait – I have the first episode already loaded and waiting for me after I post this fic. It's gonna be amazing!

Please R&R - it will motivate me more to update this story, thanks!


	4. Coffee

**AN: **I literally have no excuse for not updating in ages. I'm _so _sorry. I had no idea what to write and I didn't want to put up some chapter with loads of bullshit in it just for the sake of updating. I hope this chapter will suffice you, my dearest readers.

Eren loved coffee. In fact, _love_ is an understatement – he craved it; he cannot survive without it and if anyone catches him on a day when he hasn't had the chance to have some, then woe betide them. His capability of murdering someone increases by 90%.

Which was why he got mad when he found out that was no coffee left in the kitchen when he came back from his run on Saturday morning.

'ARMIN!' he yelled, practically shouting at the said guy's ear who was unfortunately standing near him and regretting his decision to have done so.

'Eren, you don't have to shout so loud!' Armin cried with an exasperated sigh. 'Go to Costa or Starbucks and get some coffee if you are so desperate.'

'Armin, I thought you would understand. Last night was hell for me – didn't you know how long it took me to build that house?' Eren said with a pout.

'As if I wouldn't, I was there with you remember?' Armin said with a roll of eyes. 'Eren, if only you put as much as effort into your work like you do in Minecraft.'

'You sound like my mum,' Eren said as he grabbed his jacket. 'Do you want anything from the shop?'

'No thanks, it would be good if you buy some coffee as well as your drink in case of another emergency like this.'

'Point taken,' Eren nodded as he quickly went out – a bit annoyed for having to go back out instead of the prospect of having a lazy morning. He didn't see Levi when he had his run which was a pity but he figured that they must have left at different times especially since they haven't exactly proposed a certain time to meet.

Soon he stopped in front of the local Costa, his and Armin's favourite coffee shop. He took a deep breath, inhaling the alluring musky coffee smell and went inside, comforted by the warmth.

He immediately joined the short queue that was already there and looked around. The café was not that full especially for 9am on a Saturday and he could make out a few spare tables. He saw a few people sitting by themselves –either using their laptops or writing. Then he saw someone who looked really familiar and his heart did a quick jump.

It was Levi.

He didn't notice Eren staring at him because he was too intent on whatever he was doing on his laptop. He was dressed in a black jumper that clung to him in _just_ the right places with a grey scarf on albeit the warmth in the shop. His eyes still had bags under them and they seemed even more pronounced by the café lighting. An untouched cup of black coffee sat next to him – seemingly still hot as there is a small amount of steam coming from it. He reached for it suddenly, felt it and moved his hand away before typing something on his laptop.

Eren quickly ordered his usual cappuccino and croissant and waited impatiently for it to be done. When it was done, he quickly paid for it and walked briskly towards the table Levi was sitting at. He didn't look up till Eren was hovering near the chair in front of me.

'Morning,' Eren said with a slight tremor in his voice as he placed his coffee on the glass table. 'Do you mind if I sit here?' Levi shook his head slightly and then went back to his laptop. His face looked even paler than when he saw him at a distance.

There was a silence – with the exception of the continuous tapping on Levi's laptop and the background noise in the café. Eren's mouth felt intolerably dry as he peeked a glance at the man. He could see now that the man had a thin white shirt underneath the black jumper, showing just the right amount of collarbone making it harder for Eren to look away. Seriously, it has to be illegal to look this good.

'Fancy seeing you here,' Eren blurted out after a few minutes have passed. He ruffled his hair nervously and started swirling his tea unnecessarily. He ripped open a few sugar sachets and sprinkled the sugar in, stirring constantly even after the sugar had surely sweetened his coffee completely. Levi raised his eyebrows but didn't make any attempt in conversation.

'Well, I didn't see you this morning so I assumed that we missed each other,' Eren said, lifting up his croissant. He didn't usually buy food in the café but he wanted to stay there as long as he could. He could practically feel his heart hammering wildly in his throat and felt strange all over. If he gets this flustered over just the man _being_ there then god knows what would happen if he actually did something.

'I had a business meeting last night and I happened to oversleep,' he said, finally lifting his cup. In a really weird way – for instead of the common grasp of the handle, he proceeded to hold the cup just below the brim with his fingers.

'Is the coffee still too hot for you?' There was a pause and Levi's eyes narrowed.

'It isn't.'

'Then…why do you hold it like that?' Eren looked a bit worried now for Levi's response.

'It's just an old habit I guess,' Levi said and he sipped his coffee. He put the cup down with a sigh and licked his lips. 'It's decaf.'

'I have never met anyone who has decaf in the morning,' Eren said with a grin.

'So what? It's not a crime now is it?' Levi said coolly.

'Well, no…but I'm just saying,' Eren said awkwardly. Then he brightened. 'Hey Levi, do you want to go running tomorrow? I already had my run this morning but if we decide a time…' He couldn't even finish the sentence because Levi suddenly brandished a tissue and wiped Eren's side of the table where he had spilled crumbs from the croissant he was eating.

'Watch yourself when you eat, brat,' said Levi with a grumble. He wiped vigorously until it was as clean as it originally was whilst Eren looked up with a surprised look on his face.

'There,' Levi finally finished with a grunt of satisfaction, popping the tissue into the nearby bin. He looked back at Eren who still looked surprised. 'What?'

'I didn't think that you would be such a…germaphobe,' Eren said with a small chuckle.

'Is it a problem?' Levi drawled. 'What's so funny?'

'N-no,' Eren said, lifting his own cup. 'I was just thinking about yesterday and the way you shook my hand. I thought you just had issues with interaction but I didn't assume –,' he suddenly spluttered mid-drink with the urge to laugh.

'For God's sake,' the short man cried out, his face wincing in distaste at Eren's chin dripping with foam and some coffee splattered on the table.

'Sorry sorry,' Eren mumbled, fumbling for some tissues. 'Were you holding back your expletives because we are in a public place?'

'No, I am only protecting your _precious_ little ears from being corrupted,' said Levi sarcastically. 'Oh give that to me, I am not going to tolerate your half-assed cleaning.' He snatched the tissues from Eren's hands – lightly brushing his fingers as he did so. If he wasn't so intent on cleaning, he wouldn't have failed to notice the faint blush Eren got when he touched him.

When Levi was finally happy, Eren finished his croissant making sure that he didn't spill any crumbs. When he finished his coffee, he put it down with an audible sigh.

'I always forget how tired you feel after a long run,' he said. 'And that's weird since I run every day.' Levi was about to respond when someone's phone rang.

'Oh shit it's mine,' Eren said, feeling very annoyed. He quickly took his phone and looked at the caller ID. _Horseface. _He gave a groan – trust Jean to interrupt even if it wasn't on purpose. 'Excuse me.'

'What is it?' Eren said, grumpily when he went outside. 'It better be important.'

'Why do I have to call you with a purpose?' said Jean in an amused tone. 'I shouldn't need to have a reason just to say good morning to a friend.'

'Jean, you and I both know that we're not friends and we only put up with each other in secondary school because of Marco,' said Eren, impatiently. 'Now spit it out.'

'Fine. I want those notes I lent to Armin pronto but he's not picking up his phone,' said Jean. 'I need them for one of my lectures this afternoon. Be a dear and tell him to bring them back to me, eh?'

'Don't call me that,' Eren snapped. 'Besides you are gonna have to wait, I'm in the middle of something here.'

'Ooh, like what? Is it your boy-,' he enquired but Eren decided to cut the call after that. Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, he walked briskly towards his seat. Levi didn't make any response indicating that he knew he was back except for the small pause in the middle of sipping his decaf.

'That was my –ah–classmate,' Eren said as he sat down.

'I didn't need to know that,' Levi said, smoothly.

'I thought you would have been a bit curious.'

'I wasn't really.' Eren seriously wondered then if the man actually liked seeing him get irritated.

'Okay, whatever. I need to head back but I was hoping that we could have our run tomorrow at 7.30?' Eren asked, hopefully before standing up. The short man's eyes looked up at him and the student flushed, struggling to hide at the actual _cuteness _of that movement.

'I can make that time,' he smirked. He put his coffee down on the table and before he even said a word, Eren snatched it off him.

'I can put it back, I'm gonna leave anyway,' Eren smiled at him. Levi stared back at him emotionlessly but muttered a faint thank you – so quiet that only Eren could hear him and he smiled.

Levi is warming up to him – slowly, that's definite, but surely.

**AN: **I really need some more ideas to help me get this story going and avoid long breaks between chapters like this time. Will you guys please give me some prompts to use so I can get inspired? Please? :3

Reviews are always appreciated since they are my fuel for this story!


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